7 HIDDEN CAUSES OF WEIGHT GAIN

Some of the most popular “healthy” foods may be making you fat, according to JJ Virgin, nutrition and fitness coach to high-performance athletes, CEOs, and A-list celebrities, and author of The Virgin Diet. The root of the problem is not simply calories, but ingredients your body can’t tolerate—a condition best described as food intolerance. And, she says, it affects as many as 70 percent of Americans.

This type of intolerance is not a typical food allergy—a sometimes life-threatening immune-system reaction immediately after eating a specific food. Food intolerances trigger a different type of immune reaction, which takes more time to manifest and is difficult to connect to the offending food. They also set off chronic inflammation, disrupt hormones that regulate fat storage and hunger, and damage the digestive system. Weight gain or inability to lose weight are common signs, but there are also many others (take the quiz ahead).

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There can also be another problem: Some people genetically lack enzymes needed to break down specific foods. Lack of the enzyme lactase, needed to digest lactose in dairy foods, is a common example.

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How do you discover which foods could be hurting you? In more than 25 years of solving weight problems, Virgin has identified these 7 “high-FI” foods, meaning they have a high likelihood of triggering food intolerance (FI):

Gluten

Soy

Eggs

Corn

Dairy

Peanuts

Sugar and artificial sweeteners

These hidden causes of weight gain are in obvious places, such as gluten in bread. They are also added to countless processed foods (if in doubt, just read a few ingredient lists on labels). And, they find their way into other foods. For example, conventionally raised chickens eat corn or soy, and those ingredients make their way into eggs, where they can trigger a food intolerance. Conventionally raised cows eat corn, turning beef into a high-FI food.

Virgin has also identified “low-FI” foods, ones that are least likely to cause a reaction (see p. 48). And these open the door to healing and weight loss.

The Ultimate Solution

By abstaining from high-FI foods and eating only low-FI foods, long enough to heal your system, you can then gradually reintroduce high-FI foods one at a time, monitor your reaction, and customize a way of eating that keeps you slim and in good health. That’s the basic principle.

This isn’t a “diet” in the usual sense, says Virgin. “It treats food as information,” she explains, “connecting the dots between what you eat, how you feel, and what you weigh so you can customize your diet to support fast and lasting fat loss.”

Her book explains the process in much more detail and includes many more food options and recipes, but these are some highlights.

The Plan

The initial step lasts 21 days, and is a combination of shakes and clean meals without high-FI foods. The first week is a jump start to produce weight loss of up to 7 pounds in 7 days—the maximum safe amount—with shakes for two meals and a third consisting of low-FI foods, and an optional snack. Keeping a diary on what you eat and how you react is vital, so that you can make the connection between food and your state of being.

For the second and third weeks, you can have two low-FI meals, a shake for the third, and an optional between-meal snack. Or, stick with two shakes and one meal. These three weeks help restore health to your digestive system, as well as producing quick, motivating weight loss.

The next step is gradually reintroducing one high-FI food at a time and determining whether or not you can eat it, and how often. This is where you discover your unique body chemistry. And the final stage is maintenance—eating in a way that suits your system and will keep you healthy and slim.

Is Food Intolerance Hurting You?

If you have a symptom 1-2 times per week at a mild or moderate level, even if it’s barely noticeable, score 2 points.

If you have a mild or moderate symptom 3 or more times per week, or a severe symptom 2 or more times per week, score 4 points.

____ Inability to lose weight

____ Food cravings

____Fatigue

____Headaches

____Brain fog

____Moodiness

____Constipation and/or diarrhea

____Depression

____Gas and bloating

____Throat clearing

____Muscle pain

____Congestion

____Chronic mucus or a stuffy nose

____Skin rashes

____Acne or rosacea

____Eczema

____Psoriasis

____ADD and hyperactivity

____Asthma

____Joint pain

____Arthritis (any type)

____Sinusitis

____Abdominal cramping

____Dark circles under the eyes

____ Total

What Your Score Means

Low Intolerance: Below 4

You have few food intolerances, if any. However, says Virgin, most people feel and look better if they don’t eat the seven most reactive foods, even if they don’t have any noticeable symptoms of intolerance.

Moderate Intolerance: 6-14

You suffer mild or moderate discomfort and bloating with certain foods, according to Virgin, but not all the time. You may have gained weight without changing your diet, may feel more tired or stressed than you used to, or your skin and hair have lost their glow.

High Intolerance: 16+

Your stomach likely feels constantly bloated, no matter what you eat, and you just can’t lose weight, even though you’ve tried every which way. You might wonder why you look tired or older than your years.

What To Eat

Have a shake within one hour of waking up. If you exercise in the morning, have half the shake before and the other half after your workout. Eat every 4-6 hours (unless a medical condition requires you to eat more often). Don’t eat later than 2-3 hours before going to bed.

Healthy Fats: 1-3 servings, with each serving containing approximately 100 calories. One serving is defined this way: 1 tablespoon of a fat; or 1⁄3 of an avocado; or the fat contained in your portion of grass-fed beef, pasture-fed pork, lamb, or wild cold-water fish.

Drink Water

Your daily water total should be at least 64 ounces, but ideally, half your weight in ounces. Drink 16 ounces when you get up and again 30-60 minutes before each meal, and 8 ounces before bed. During meals, don’t drink more than 4-8 ounces, and wait an hour after eating before drinking more.

Dr. Oz’s Best Weight-Loss Supplements

During the past year, Dr. Mehmet Oz has featured numerous weight-loss supplements on his popular TV show. Each one works in a different way, and should be used with a healthy diet (such as The Virgin Diet) and exercise plan. These are some of the most popular:

7-KETO

Enhances Metabolism

Our bodies make 7-keto, a natural byproduct of the DHEA hormone. However, levels drop after age 30, slowing down metabolism. Studies show that the supplement (also called 7-keto DHEA) increases the rate at which we burn calories around the clock. When taken with a diet and exercise program, 7-keto has tripled the amount of weight loss compared to a placebo. Take: 100 mg morning and evening. Try: Enzymatic Therapy Naturalean with 7-Keto

RASPBERRY KETONES

Break Down Fat

Compounds responsible for the distinct aroma of red raspberries, raspberry ketones break down fat, according to animal and test-tube studies. And the ketones stimulate secretion of adiponectin, a hormone that regulates fat storage. Higher levels of adiponectin correlate with less stored fat. Take: 100–200 mg with breakfast and lunch. Try: Creative Bioscience Raspberry Ketones 1234

SATIEREAL

Curbs Stress Eating

We tend to eat more carbohydrate-rich snacks when under stress because they trigger feel-good hormones. Satiereal, a patented saffron extract, triggers the release of these same hormones. In one study, taking Satiereal for 8 weeks reduced snacking by 55 percent, between-meal hunger by 84 percent, and cravings for sugary snacks by 78 percent. Take: 88.25–88.5 mg before meals, twice daily. Try: Re-Body Hunger Caps with Satiereal Saffron Extract

GLA

Shrinks Fat Cells

GLA (gamma linolenic acid) is a healthy fat found in black currant, borage seed, and evening primrose oils. It’s an omega-6 fat, one of the two types of essential fats we must get from our diet. GLA stimulates fat cells to release fat, making them—and your body—smaller, and in one study, it prevented weight regain after a successful diet. Plus, it helps fight inflammation. Take: 800–900 mg of GLA daily. Try: The Vitamin Shoppe Borage Oil

GREEN COFFEE EXTRACT

Tames Sugar Roller Coaster

Sugar and starch cause blood sugar to skyrocket and crash, and this roller-coaster effect promotes fat storage and cravings. Green coffee extract slows down or stops the cycle. In studies, including one done by Dr. Oz on his show, the supplement produced an average weight loss of 1–3 pounds per week, without a diet or exercise program. Take: 400 mg, 30 minutes before meals, three times daily. On labels, look for Svetol, GCA, or Coffeegenic extracts. Try: Life Extension Coffeegenic